The Willoughby Chronicles, Book 1
Synopsis:
On the day her mother died, Daphne Forrest learned the devastating truth. She’d never really known the woman who raised her, not even her real name. Fueled to unravel the tragic mystery behind her mother’s secrets, Daphne abandons all she knows, traveling to the bucolic yet sinister town of Willoughby, Minnesota. Navigating through the memories of her own bloody legacy, Daphne throws herself into the insular and haunting small town of her ancestors. She investigates the murder that led to her mother’s shame, with the help of charming, yet tortured, local Edwin Monroe. Edwin has a unique understanding of the darkness in Willoughby, and how the town holds a lurking threat more foreboding than any unsolved murder. As Daphne gets closer to the truth, Willoughby itself rebels against her. She bears witness to terrifying scenes from the past. Is her mother a murderer? Is this Daphne’s dark inheritance? And is she strong enough to battle an evil more frightening than her own past?
Edition:
Paperback
Disclaimer:
I was provided a complimentary review copy of Her Dark Inheritance by the author. As usual, this did not impact my review in any way.
My Thoughts:
Her Dark Inheritance is an interesting starter to The Willoughby Chronicles. Daphne’s journey to the town she discovers her mother hails from is fraught with grief and confusion. Why has her mother spent her entire life lying to her? To everyone? What happened in the town of Willoughby that caused her to leave and never look back? What was she involved in?
Willoughby seems serene and totally normal from the outside. But the minute you start peeking beneath the surface, the whole town is a complicated and extremely dark place. The whole feel of the place is pretty distinctly Twin Peaks on its underside. Although maybe slightly more straightforward than that.
“…this blackness could take Daphne, that it could pierce through her as it did him, burrowed a hole in his heart.”
Meg has a very engaging style of writing that makes this story go by quickly. Although I have to say, I was feeling much more invested in Daphne’s mother’s story than in Daphne’s. Although I did love Edwin. Honestly, I guess I felt like Daphne was the least interesting character, which is unfortunate. But she was still pretty okay, so I’m not mad or anything.
I was looking for a book with a Minnesota connection since I was feeling a little bit homesick, and this was a good way to remind myself that Minnesota has an underbelly that I’m super not into. Although this one is a little bit different and a lot more supernatural.
About the Author:
Horror and suspense author Meg Hafdahl is the creator of numerous stories and books. She is the co-author of the non-fiction projects The Science of Monsters and The Science of Women in Horror (SKYHORSE). Her fiction has appeared in anthologies such as Eve’s Requiem: Tales of Women, Mystery and Horror (SPIDER ROAD PRESS) and has been produced for audio by The Wicked Library and The Lift. She is also the author of two popular short story collections including Twisted Reveries: Thirteen Tales of the Macabre (INKLINGS) Meg is also the author of the two novels; Daughters of Darkness (INKLINGS) and Her Dark Inheritance (INKLINGS) called “an intricate tale of betrayal, murder, and small town intrigue” by Horror Addicts and “every bit as page turning as any King novel” by RW Magazine. Meg, also the co-creator of Horror Rewind, lives in the snowy bluffs of Minnesota.
Rating:
Overall, this was a quick, fun read. I think it took me about two days to get through reading only on work breaks, so I definitely read it pretty fast. And although Daphne left me wanting a little, the story overall was interesting enough that I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
Her Dark Inheritance The Willoughby Chronicles #1 By Meg Hafdahl Inklings Publishing Published: March 17, 2018 ISBN: 9781944428259 Format: Paperback, e-book Author's Website
